Ordinary Bill and Money Bill

Ordinary bill and Money bill are two types of bills in India. Ordinary bill is printed on a piece of paper. Money bills, on the other hand, are printed on special paper that can’t be easily counterfeited. Ordinary bill is a draft which is passed by the Lower House, i.e. Lok Sabha, of Indian Parliament and sent to Rajya Sabha for their approval. Money bill is an important type of bill in India and it is directly sent to Rajya Sabha after its passage by Lok Sabha. Apart from these two types of bills, there are number of other types including Private Member’s Bill, Government Business Bill and Constitutional Amendment Bill etc., but the difference between Ordinary bill and Money bill in India is one of the most common topics on which students have doubts in competitive exams like UPSC Civil Services Exam (CSE), State Civil Service Exam (SSC) or other competitive exams conducted by various states of India.

What is Ordinary bill?

An Ordinary bill is a bill that has been introduced in the Lower House of Indian Parliament, i.e. Lok Sabha, either by a minister of the Government or a private Member. Once it is passed by Lok Sabha, it goes to Rajya Sabha for their approval. A Bill becomes an Ordinary bill after passing it through two readings in Lok Sabha and after getting its approval from Rajya Sabha. A draft of an Ordinary bill can be introduced in the Lower House of Parliament by a Minister only if it has already received the assent of the President and the Upper House, i.e. Rajya Sabha before that i.e., prior to its introduction in Lok Sabha during its current session i.e. Winter session of Parliament.

Significance of Ordinary bill:

Even if a draft of the Bill is introduced in Lok Sabha by a Minister, the same can be withdrawn at any point of time by a Minister before its passage. If it remains pending for a long time, it can be dropped or forgotten altogether. In case an Ordinary bill is introduced in Parliament by a private Member and passed by the Lower House, then they go to Rajya Sabha for their approval before they are signed into law by the President. An Ordinary bill can be withdrawn at any time during its process of approval in both houses of Parliament i.e., if Lok Sabha passes it and sends to Rajya Sabha for their approval, then its passage stops there i.e.

What is a Money bill?

A Money bill, on the contrary, is a bill that has been passed by Rajya Sabha and sent to Lok Sabha for its approval. However, in this case, it needs to be sent first to the President instead of Rajya Sabha. Once it has been received by the President and approved by him, it can be introduced in Lok Sabha during its Winter session i.e., after being passed by Rajya Sabha.

Significance of Money Bill:

Money Bill, as compared to Ordinary bill, is extremely important because it can be introduced directly in the Upper House of Parliament i.e., Rajya Sabha, without going to the Lower House of Parliament. This means that even if an Ordinary bill is rejected by Lok Sabha, the same can’t be reintroduced again in a later session of Parliament i.e., in the next Winter session. Money bills are passed by Rajya Sabha after being sent back to Lok Sabha by the President for their approval during one or two sessions of Parliament i.e., Winter Session and/or Summer Session respectively.

Difference between Ordinary Bill and Money Bill: 

1) Ordinary bill is a draft of a bill which can be introduced by a minister or a private Member whereas Money Bill is a bill that has been passed by the Rajya Sabha.

2) In case of Ordinary bill, the Lower House i.e. Lok Sabha needs to pass it after its approval by the Upper House i.e., Rajya Sabha whereas in case of Moneybill, it goes directly to President for his approval and then to Upper House for their approval only after receiving its approval from the President.

3) An Ordinary bill requires an assent from the President before its introduction in Lok Sabha during its current session i.e. Winter session of Parliament but a Money bill requires an approval from the President only after it has been passed by the Rajya Sabha.

4) An Ordinary bill can be reintroduced in Lok Sabha in a later session of Parliament i.e., during its next Winter session but Money bill cannot be reintroduced again in the future i.e., in the next winter session or any future session of Parliament.

5) An Ordinary bill is dropped or forgotten if it remains pending for too long but a Money bill is not dropped or forgotten even if it remains pending for a long time as its process continues until either it gets approved by both Houses of Parliament or withdrawn by the Government itself.

Conclusion:

Ordinary bills and Money bills are two different kinds of bills in India. Money bill is a type of Important bill in India. Ordinary bill is a type of draft introduced in the Lower House, i.e., Lok Sabha, by a Minister or a private Member whereas Money bill is the type of Bill that has been passed by the Rajya Sabha and then sent to Lower House, i.e., Lok Sabha for its approval after receiving its approval from President of India. An ordinary bill can be introduced in Lok Sabha only if it has already received the assent of the President and Rajya Sabha before that.